And A Happy New Year Part 2
by Isabella GL
Summary: Fletcher pays a visit to Alexandra to find out what happened between Roger and her. Holly tries to move on as Roger is nowhere to be found.


He found Alexandra in the library. She raised an eyebrow upon seeing him but remained silent. He sat down besides her and decided to skip the small talk.

"What's that I hear? You decided to go for a second helping of Rodger the Dodger?"

Part of him still wanted to hurt her and to make her pay for lying to him. He felt a grim satisfaction in seeing her slowly turning red. He pressed his advantage.

"Boy, you must really hate yourself for sleeping with someone you told everyone you despised. Or maybe you still love him?"

Alexandra rose and began pacing nervously across the room. "Fletch, of course I don't love Roger Thorpe, he is no more precious to me than a cockroach. If it wasn't from him, you and I might still be together."

Fletcher crossed his arms.

"Then why did you sleep with him?"

"I…"

She started fingering her rings, unable to go on. She had done her share of lying to Fletcher, but she could not bring herself to lie to him about that, even if it meant exposing her scheme.

Sensing that she was on the verge of admitting something, he closed the distance between them and took her by the shoulders, resisting the urge to shake her.

"You didn't, didn't you? You only made it look like it so that Holly would leave him. Damn, Alex, why?"

She shook him off. "He lied to me! He made a fool of me. He pretended to help me keep Alan from getting Spaulding back, while he was in fact working FOR him. He deserved to pay and lose what was dear to him. Assuming he is capable of love of course, which I highly doubt."

"Oh yes, God forbid you should let someone hurt your jumbo-sized pride! And I guess you had no scruples sacrificing Holly's happiness to your little revenge?"

"What do I care about Holly? What did she expect, drooling on scum like Roger? A fairy tale ending?"

Fletcher felt suddenly very tired. "That's your problem Alex. You don't care about anybody but yourself. That's why I left you, and that's why you're never going to be happy."

He left before she could answer.

* * *

><p>Holly turned to Blake as she hung up the phone. "What do you know? It looks like your father was telling the truth after all." She sat on the couch, looking weary.<p>

Blake dropped her grocery bags on the counter and rushed to her mother's side. "Well?"

"Well what?"

Blake looked into her mother's face, trying to decipher her expression. "Doesn't it make it a bit better?"

Holly's face hardened. "Not really, no." She got up and disappeared in her room.

Blake called after her. "Mom, don't you think it's time you stayed out of bed? I know it's hard, but it's been days now and…" her voice trailed off.

Holly popped her head out. "I am not going to bed. I am going to work."

Blake gave a haft-hearted smile. She had been waiting for weeks for her mother to do something, anything, other than cry, but she was not sure if this new anger was the way to go either. And, although she did not dare to brooch the subject, she was seriously starting to worry about her father. He had not tried to contact Holly or herself in any way. He had not even tried to get his things back. It was as if he had just chosen to disappear, without a fight. It was not like the Roger she knew.

"Where are you Dad?" she muttered.

* * *

><p>Fletcher could feel her coming in the newsroom even though his back was turned. Maybe it was the sudden hush that fell upon the room. Or maybe her perfume gave her away. In any case, he called out to her without even looking around. "Red, we have work to do. Can we go to your office?"<p>

Without waiting for an answer, he marched right into her office, discreetly signaling people to stop staring.

She slowly followed him, closing the door softly. She looked around, looking lost. Then her eyes met him and she suddenly smiled. "Thank you".

"For what?"

"For making it easier for me to come back."

"Don't thank me, we really have work to do".

She smiled again. "Can't wait".


End file.
